Orange
by Totoromo
Summary: The reason Yumichika wears orange. The story of how Yumichika and Ikkaku met and fell for each other, as told in from their perspectives. Yaoi. M for sex and language.
1. The Barn

**Title: **Orange

**Fandom: **Bleach

**Rating: **M, swearing and sex

**Description: **The reason Yumichika wears orange. The story of how Yumichika and Ikkaku met and fell for each other, as told in from their perspectives. Yaoi. M for sex and language.

**Disclaimer: **Bleach is created and owned by Tite Kubo, I merely pay homage to characters and a story I love.

_A/N: I love this pair!_

**The Barn**

* * *

**Yumichika**

I was tired of moving from place to place. Why I chose this particular dusty town I'm not sure; maybe I was just weary when I got here and haven't moved on since. I never really had a place to call home and wanted one, even if I had to hide what I was to get it.

I hadn't counted on the sheer boredom though, and how much I truly missed being touched. It wasn't like I didn't get hit on; it's just that all those women flirting with me were definitely not going to get anywhere. I flirted backed though, I enjoyed the attention and I didn't want people to get any ideas. These podunk towns and villages are always so closed minded about certain things.

One day after work I was walking by an alley and heard something. When I investigated I found two very abashed looking men quickly separating themselves from each other. I just laughed at them and walked off. To tell the truth I was kind of envious.

"Wait," one of them said as I walked away.

I stopped.

"If you…" he paused. "If you're ever bored there's a place you can go. It's at the top of Tower Hill, an abandoned barn. You can meet people there," he said vaguely.

"I don't suppose there's any details I should know?" I asked, very interested. He gave me some guidelines and I walked away more happy than I had been for several months.

Now, anonymous sex, which is what this place was offering, wasn't the type of thing that I normally liked. I like being admired and adored, the idea of being casually used isn't something that someone as beautiful as me should have to endure…on the other hand, it had been at least half a year since I had had sex, and it's not like that session was anything great.

I waited until the weekend, hoping that would give me a better chance of finding someone. I approached cautiously, a little hesitant about what I was doing. Still in the end I was in a dark barn, filtered moonlight leaking through holes in the ancient roof. I had been told that there was no talking at all. If you were waiting one of the stalls that meant that you wanted oral sex or hand jobs. In the center were bales of hay. If you wanted full on physical sex you'd wait there. That's where I made my way. I kneeled at the bale, placing my hand out, and waited. I wondered what would happen if there was no one there, or if no one wanted to have sex with me, or how long I would have to wait for someone else to show up. I could hear people around me engaging in various acts, but it's not as though I could draw anyone to me since everyone was blind in the gray light. Well, at least I could enjoy myself a little though, hearing someone across me getting active. The couple's groans grew, getting rougher, and I closed my eyes to focus on them, feeling myself get more and more aroused. I tried to ignore everything else and just focus on my growing desire. I imagine that's why I didn't feel him enter the room. I definitely felt his hand on mine though. I opened my eyes and was shocked to feel his spiritual pressure. It felt warm to me. It was so rare to feel someone with any sort of spiritual pressure out in boondocks so it seemed providential that he should come to me. His large hand felt strong on mine. My initial qualms were definitely over; between hearing the others having sex and the intimate feeling I was already getting from him, I was more than ready.

A situation like we were in doesn't allow for too many options, we merely rutted like animals; but god it was so great. I honestly couldn't remember the last time that I had had such great sex.

The next day I was absolutely glowing. I couldn't believe that I had finally found someplace that I could have a little fun in this place. I forced myself to wait a couple days before going back again. Once again, I didn't have to wait too long. It seems like there's more underground gay men in this town then I would have believed. This was obviously a different person. The sex was…good. If I had had it a week ago, I would have been ecstatic, but compared to what I had a week ago it felt a little lacking. It wasn't just the sex then, it was the person. I had to find him.

* * *

**Ikkaku**

In our town there's a crazy man who walks around with a duck under his arm, who he treats like a son. I mean it, he gives it better food than I give myself, wraps it up in blankets when it's cold outside, and talks to it all the time. A couple of years ago he wound up caught in a storm away from town and I let him stay the night. I'm a couple miles out to give me lots of room to work seasoning my wood and so that the noise from sawing doesn't bother anyone, so it happens sometimes that I find the occasional stranger that needs a place to stay. I found him to actually be a nice guy. His son had died while they were still fighting about something, hadn't talked for years type of thing. He had felt so bad about the whole deal that he made a vow to care for this duck like it was his son, to punish himself. So every day that people laughed at him or avoided him, he just viewed it as his just deserts. Anyways, I remember thinking after that that he was one of the more sane people I had ever met. I guess I'm kind of weird that way. I really respect people that go their own way, no matter what. I mean, even if others think you're weird, fuck them, right?

I was one of the few people this guy talked to, so one day he stopped by my carpentry workshop for a chat and told me that he had seen something weird up on Tower Hill a couple of nights ago. The old guy isn't judgmental, he didn't give a shit what was going on; he just thought it was kinda interesting. I found it a lot more interesting than he did.

I mostly sleep with women, but for me there's really nothing like the thrill of sleeping with another man. It's a little rare and hard to come by around here, although I can get away with it a little better than most being fairly secluded. Still, I wanted to check this place out. It might just be nothing, but if it was actually something, I wanted in for sure.

So I waited until the weekend and walked to the hill. I waited in the tree line for a bit, checking things out. Someone else walked up too, and stood next to me for awhile. Finally he said, "First time?"

"Uh, yeah," I replied. "Exactly what…"

He laughed and explained it to me. I really couldn't believe it. Seriously, just like walk in and bam, no strings attached sex? Why the hell hadn't I heard of this place before? I almost felt like cursing for all the time I had wasted.

I started approaching the barn when I felt him. I actually stopped walking. It was almost like a smell. I was already getting pretty excited so just feeling it was erotic. He better not be with someone else, I thought to myself fiercely. When I got inside I spotted him instantly, miraculously unclaimed and in spot of luck, in the middle circle, just begging for me to bury myself in him. He flinched slightly when I put my hand on his, but after that, everything was pure enjoyment. I found myself already cursing the constraints of this place, because there were a lot of things I wanted to do to him that I couldn't. How hadn't I found this person before I wondered, collapsed on him as we both exhausted ourselves. Then, of course, he left, and I wished that I could have at least gotten his name.

A couple of days later I was working in my shop when a lady walked in.

"Can I help you?" I asked, wiping some sweat off my face.

"I'm Mrs. Nakamura," she said.

"Oh, I have your table done. The delivery boy should be by tomorrow to pick it up and get it to your house," I replied. "You didn't need to come here."

"I'm glad I did though," she said, making eyes at me, "because otherwise I wouldn't have met you."

What is it with these housewives? Do their husbands just not sleep with them or what? She threw herself at me and we wound up having sex on her table. I wonder if she ever thinks about it at dinner while passing the salt to her husband?

I went to bed feeling pretty good about myself, but when I woke up I was lonely. It wasn't that I wanted a warm body in my bed, and it wasn't that I was horny, it was something else.

Damn it, I thought, knowing what it was that I was missing. I decided that I was going to try and find that guy.


	2. Finding Each Other

**Finding Each Other**

* * *

**Yumichika**

I figured my best bet was the weekend. He had been there on a Saturday night; maybe it was a regular thing for him. Even if I did find him in the barn again, I wondered how I would indicate that I wanted to see him again; someplace else.

I went around the same time as last time. When I entered though, I wasn't quite sure what to do. I didn't want to actually be anywhere where someone would think I wanted to have sex with them. I was only after one person.

My heart started to race a little. He was coming. I could feel him outside. I went to the small circle in the center of the room and knelt down. Looking back, it didn't even occur to me that he wouldn't come to me after entering the barn, and I'm not sure what I would have done if he had gone to someone else. Punched someone I guess. It wasn't an issue though. I felt his warm hand on mine and felt like I had won a victory. There was something else too. Around his wrist was a bright orange…I'm not sure what you would call it. It looked as though he had grabbed some fabric and ripped a long shred of it, wrapped it around his wrist and tied it in a rough knot. He definitely didn't have it last time. I smiled. Even in the dark I had managed to charm him. He did this because he wants me to find him, I thought. Honestly, there could have been other reasons, but that was the one that made the most sense to me, the one that made me the happiest.

I really did try to not be too noisy, but I'm just naturally noisy during sex, especially when someone was making me feel the way this person did. I wanted more of him than I could have in this place and when I felt his hands begin to move across my body I cried out again. Yes, I thought to him, please touch me more. Don't stop. I imagine we were probably drawing attention to ourselves but there was absolutely no way I was going to hamper anything that was happening between us.

Finally we had reached the end, and I only wished for more, not that I had the energy. We collapsed on that filthy ground, gasping. My back was to him and I wanted to turn and speak to him.

"I…" I said, stopping suddenly as when I heard noise outside.

The room began dead silent as we all listened.

"In here, this is where it's supposed to be," someone yelled.

"Let's check it out," another said.

"Fucking queers."

Damn it, not right now you bastards. It was better to just run though.

I was so close to finding out who he was too. At least I could look for him though.

* * *

**Ikkaku**

First thing I needed to do was to figure out a way for him to find me, or for me to find him. I was thinking about the problem when a pair of hands came into view.

"I can tell that you're thinking too hard," she said, laughing in her raspy voice.

I could never mistake those hands for anyone else. She was one of my favorite customers, not because she bought that much, but because the old broad was a battle axe with a wicked sense of humor who would tell the dirtiest jokes without batting an eye. She always had bright red fingernails and wore heavy costume jewelry on her fingers and wrists.

"Well, I was Ms. Nakajiima, but you've just solved it for me," I said. I just needed to find something suitably noticeable to wear on my wrist or hand.

I went back to that barn the next night and camped out on the roof. I figured that if he came I could feel him, and this way I didn't have to keep explaining to anyone that I didn't want to have sex with them or make them think I was there to spy on them or anything. He wasn't there that night, or the second night.

On Saturday night though, I didn't even need to go on the roof, I could feel him as soon as I started walking up the hill.

Once I was contracted to come and do a bunch of home repairs and general jobs for a fairly wealthy estate. One of my jobs was to fix a couple of flowers stands in their hot house. I remember it being so odd. It was cold and raining outside, but so warm inside. There were out of season fruits and vegetables, and exotic tropical flowers. That's what his spiritual pressure feels like to me; one of those exotic flowers that I never found the name of.

He was in the center again. As much as I wanted to talk to him and maybe pull him outside, I really couldn't pass up the opportunity when he was just asking for it. I placed my hand on his, hoping that he'd notice and remember my wristband and what I meant by wearing it.

I was trying my damnedest to hold back, but when he started moaning and making noise, that was just it. I moved my right hand across his arm, my left went down his side and along the inside of his thigh. He felt so soft and his bones felt so delicate under my fingers. Still, there was something in him that made it impossible for me to think of him as weak. That spiritual pressure probably had something to do with that.

I was cursing the confines and rules of this damn place. I wanted to see him, and take him in a way that completely claimed him. I wouldn't have found him any other way though, so I guess I can't complain.

As I felt him moving with me, felt myself inside of him, I could tell I was just losing it. We fell to the ground, having spent ourselves, tremors still going through our bodies. I reached for his shoulder to pull him towards me. "I…" he began to say…and then I heard chatter outside. Fuckers. Of course they have to come now. Why they have to care it beyond me. Damn it, I thought, as everyone in the barn quickly got dressed and dispersed.

I know it's stupid, but when I was trying to sleep that night, I imagined that I had reached his shoulder. I imagined him turning and facing me and finishing his sentence. In my mind he's starting to say my name.

* * *

**Yumichika**

I was pretty upset after having to leave without getting to know who my lover was, but I was fairly confident that he wanted me in the same way that I wanted him. I went to a store and found a cheap leather wristband and painted it orange, and wore it on my right wrist. The paint wouldn't last too long, but I was hoping that it wouldn't take that long to find him. I doubted that anyone would be going back to that barn anytime soon so it seemed like my only shot for now.

It was my luck that it was only a week later that I found him. I was walking along the market when I felt his spiritual pressure. Where? Where? I whipped my head around the crowded walkway. My heartbeat was beating in my ears. There! Orange! He had his hand up in a gesture to the vendor he was talking to. I didn't move. He turned, maybe sensing me. He also just stared at me.

"Cousin!" he said finally. "I didn't know you were going to be in the part of the world."

"Yes," I said, walking towards him. "I'm sorry for not letting you know."

"I guess you missed me at the shop, I came into town to get some supplies," he mentioned.

"Don't worry, I'll get it delivered," the merchant said.

"Thanks," he said.

We began to walk. I felt a little giddy, and rather than feeling silly about it, I kind of enjoyed it.

"Ikkaku Madarame," he said, introducing himself.

"Yumichika Ayasegawa," I replied.

"I'm a carpenter," he explained. "I have a shop a couple miles out where I live and work."

"I live in town," I said. "I work at Hitomi's Place."

"What, you're a dancer?" he said with a smile.

"Actually, yes," I laughed. "The background dancers are completely clothed and wearing lots of make up so the audience can't tell that I'm not female."

"That's nice that the owner let you do that," he replied.

"I don't really think that the owner knows I'm male, and I haven't really corrected him or anything."

"This is it," he said, as we got to his shop.

It was nice. I would say "quaint" but that sounds like I'm putting it down. I loved that place and was sorry when we had to leave it. Ikkaku had built it of course; it and everything in it. Even now, the smell of fresh sawdust reminds me of Ikkaku and that first place we ever spent time together.

We got inside and just looked at each other. I really couldn't take it anymore and reached for him. He sighed as I ran my hand over his face. He wrapped his arms around me, bringing me into a kiss. It's funny that although we had slept together twice, we had never kissed, so it was the first time I got to taste him.


	3. Leaving

_A/N: Yeah, I just barely updated the last chapter but I'm really into this story so I thought I'd roll with it._

**Leaving**

* * *

**Yumichika**

The kiss very quickly became more than a kiss. I'll admit to playing games with people in the past, and maybe I'm even a bit of a tease, but this wasn't going to be one of those times. I wouldn't say I ripped his shirt off, but it definitely came off very quickly. I loved the small growl he gave when I did it, and how his fingers dug into my back slightly as he held me.

I wasn't sure what to expect from him physically during sex. The first two times had been fast and hard, obviously. This time it was completely different. He took his time, caressing me, moving his hands over me. I felt like one of his pieces of furniture laying in the shop below us, being slowing sanded down by his rough hands, molded into shape. I love when lovers take their time to enjoy me, and he spent time lavishing attention on every part of my body. After going so long without being touched that way it was like heaven.

Afterward, we lay together for awhile.

"I…I have to go to work," I confessed, never more angry that I had to work at that place than at that moment.

"Ok," he said, running his hands through my hair. I laughed and ran my hand over his bald head. He blushed adorably. "It always used to get sawdust and woodchips in it. It's easier to stay clean if I keep it shaved."

That wasn't the only part of his body he shaved, and I really rather like the look and feel of it. "I like it," I told him.

At the door I paused. We hadn't really talked about…well anything. What to do after this point, what we wanted from each other. I got an idea. I unsnapped my wristband and dropped in on the floor deliberately.

"What…" Ikkaku began to ask.

"See, what will happen is that after I finish my shift at work I will suddenly realize that I forgot my wristband here. I'll have to rush over and pick it up right away," I said.

He smiled at me.

* * *

**Ikkaku**

I was just doing some usual business when I felt him. I quickly looked up, and then behind me. That couldn't possibly be him he was too…I saw his wristband, orange, like mine.

"Cousin!" I called out.

We made our public excuses to knowing each other and walked together. I kept looking over at him. He was so damn beautiful. I wondered what he thought of me, if he was disappointed in meeting me, and what it was he was expecting me to do.

His name was Yumichika Ayasegawa.

When we got to my residence above my shop, I paused. I wanted to kiss him, to look him deeply in the eyes, but I knew that I would lose control if I did that and wasn't sure if he…he touched my face lightly. He did want me then. I drew him to me and kissed him. At first I just enjoyed being so close to him, but then I felt his delicate little tongue along my lips and went all in, delving into his mouth, running my hands along the small of his back to hold him so close to me that there was no space between us. He pushed me away slightly only to quickly slide off my shirt, and I could feel the fire building in me.

Lying naked in my bed, he was perfect. There was no way someone like him would be into me. Someone like him shouldn't have even been in a town like this. It was just my luck, I supposed, that he somehow was here since he obviously destined for other things.

That's why I took so much time over him. If I was going to only get one shot with him, I was going to enjoy it as much as I could, memorize and taste and kiss every part of him. My hands felt so uncouth against his unblemished white skin, but he moved with me so beautifully. He let me do whatever I wanted to him, but he wasn't passive, encouraging me with moans and groans, calling out my name and driving me crazy with small movements of his own. I kissed the fingertips of his hand, and then the palm of his hand, and then his wrist. I kissed the inside of his elbow and licked across his collarbone. I softly kissed the hollow of his neck and then began working my way down his chest. All the time I was massaging and tugging at him. All the time he was pushing at me and shuddering.

We had finally both been driven to the point that we couldn't take anymore. When we finally orgasmed, it was such a release that I cried out, clutching him like I was drowning.

I'm not normally a man who likes to cuddle with his lays. That is what they usually are for me, just passing people I sleep with. I'm not a person that is really personable, and I don't want or need friends, much less boyfriends (or girlfriends). But I held Yumichika in my arms, feeling his light weight on my shoulder and his head on my chest, and tried to not think about how I was going to feel when he left soon.

I wasn't surprised when he told me he had to go to work. At the door, he paused. He dropped his wristband. I went and picked it up for him, but he refused to take it from me.

"See, what will happen is that after I finish my shift at work I will suddenly realize that I forgot my wristband here. I'll have to rush over and pick it up right away," he said.

I smiled at him, surprised.

I was even more surprised when he actually showed up.

* * *

**Yumichika**

It's odd how quickly Ikkaku became home to me. My own place became a place I slept; but when I went over to Ikkaku's shop and got a warm hug from him, being enveloped by his presence, that's when I was home. I would watch him work while chatting about my day, stuff I'm sure he didn't care about, but he would always at least pretend like he was listening. He would tease me when I fussed about my hair, but then would assure me I was beautiful when I'd get irritated with him. That's one thing I've always loved about him. I wouldn't say that I nag, but I can be grating to some more delicate personalities. Ikkaku is tough as nails. I could rant at him all day and he'd just laugh at me. There are very few insults that I've ever found that bother him, at least not from me. I once, having a terrible day where I got pawed at by some customer, insulted his sexual prowess. He just came from behind me, wrapped his arms around me, and whispered in my ear in a low raspy voice, "I guess you're not interested in what I have planned then." On the contrary, I instantly became very, very interested, especially feeling him hard pressed against my back. He laughed as I moaned slightly and slapped my ass.

He didn't talk a lot about himself. It took a long time, after we had left the shop, for me to fully know him (assuming that I do now). He is one of those people who seem ridiculously simple but are a lot more complicated than they appear. He lives by his own complicated form of ethics. People would look at the two of us and probably assume that out of the two of us he was the criminal and me the saint, but I assure you I've done a lot worse things than he has. It's funny to me that I've never cared what people thought of me, but I would kill anyone that lowered Ikkaku's opinion of me. I mean that too, straight killed, not battled or anything like Ikkaku would in a fair fight. When something is that personal, I've never seen the reason to have rules or fairness. It's not even a matter of life and death, Ikkaku is worth more than life to me.

We had only had a couple of weeks together when it happened. Some men were hanging outside the backdoor of Hitomi's and I just ignored them and walked past, at least I tried too. They stopped me. I could tell they were pretty drunk.

"Hey, Gorgeous," one of them said. "Where are you going so fast?"

"Home," I said simply, removing his arm from my shoulder and starting to walk again. I was blocked by two other men. There were at least seven of them around me.

"Look, there's some very nice ladies inside that I'm sure will entertain you if that's what you're after," I said, trying to smile at them, but gritting my teeth.

"You, my dear, are the most beautiful," one of them said.

Well, I'd have to agree with that, but that's neither here nor there.

"Please, I need to get home," I said, more firmly.

"No."

Things kind of devolved from there.

* * *

**Ikkaku**

When I answered the door I was shocked to see the state the Yumichika was in. He looked really upset, almost like he was crying.

"What's wrong," I said, quickly holding him. He says he doesn't like it when I always try to comfort and that it makes him feel like a woman or a child, but he always lets me do it anyways, and I love the feeling.

"Ikkaku, I have to go," he said, staring into my chest.

My heart skipped a couple of beats. No…not yet…I thought, pressing my face into the top of his head, closing my eyes while trying to collect my thoughts. I had to convince him to stay with me a little longer. I don't think I could live in a town where he was and not be able to touch him or talk to him.

"There was a fight at my work. A bunch of guys came after me and I had to defend myself," he said.

"Wait, what?" that wasn't what I was expecting.

"They definitely know I'm a man now, since they groped me enough, and they're probably pissed since I hurt them so badly. I have to leave town," he explained.

I smiled. "Alright, let's go," I said. There wasn't really even a decision making process.

"What?" he looked up at me with those beautiful big eyes of his.

"Yeah, I got some cash in a backroom. You're still in your work clothes; did you want something more…uh…masculine?" I asked.

"Yes," he said.

I quickly found him some of my clothes.

"Ikkaku," he said. "Are you really going to leave your shop?"

"Eh, it's just stuff," I said with a shrug. I did have a lot of history with the place but it's not like I really was the type that put weight into things like that. I just wanted to be with Yumichika, and make sure that no one came after him or hurt him.

"I was only sad because I was going to leave you," he said.

"Yeah, don't shed any tears for this piece of shit town," I said, covering up my sudden flush at hearing him say those words.

* * *

_A/N: Ok, a personal question you can ignore if you want. Do you associate sex with your partner with a particular taste? I'm not talking about something obvious like er…fluids or sweat or anything. It's just that sometimes you're reading romance/fanfic and they talk about a person tasting like strawberry or honey or something. Does that actually happen? My SO swears that sex with me is like chocolate (I'm flattered I'm sure), but I've never had a specific taste. I'm just wondering since I've been writing a lot of lemony things lately and was thinking of incorporating something like that into my writing. Am I just missing out?_


	4. On The Road

**On the Road**

* * *

**Ikkaku**

"Just give me a second," I said, rummaging through a supply closet. I grabbed the money I had there, and something else. "Well, Hozukimaru, I guess it's time to hit the road again."

Honestly, strapping on my zanpakuto felt like meeting an old friend after not seeing them for years. It's not like I didn't regularly practice, but I always had to be discreet, and I don't remember the last time I was genuinely fighting against someone.

When I came downstairs again, I saw Yumichika's eyes widen. I wondered what I should tell him.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I just remembered that I really have to go back to my place before we leave. I was in such a hurry to talk to you that I forgot something very important."

He really does surprise me, all the time. I suppose back then I just didn't know him well enough, but even now he always keeps me on my toes.

If I was surprised by his calm acceptance of my zanpakuto, I was shocked when we walked by the alley that he had his fight in. We had decided to just walk straight through town. It's not like anyone was going to stop me when I was in a bad mood and wanted to get the rust off of Hozukimaru. Plus, there was a good chance that no one had spotted them yet. It wasn't unheard of for Hitomi's to throw their drunks into the alleyway to sleep off their booze. People might just assume that the man Yumichika fought was drunk. Except that was the shocking part to me, it wasn't a man, it was eight men; men that had various weapons strewn about them as they lay unconscious and battered on the ground.

"Wow," I said in a low voice, looking over at Yumichika.

"Please don't tell me that just turned you on," he said with a smile.

"Uh…no?" I answered dishonestly.

We quickly hurried past the alley and to Yumichika's place. I've never actually been there since it's over a shop and he says it's cramped. It was tiny, but it was very neat. "I didn't know you liked art," I said, pointing to the painting on the wall.

"Of course I do, art is beautiful," he said. "That isn't art though. It was just too drab in here and I wanted some color, so I made it."

It was just a mesh of colors and textures, but I found it fascinating. It's true that I don't know art from Adam, and it certainly didn't look like a tree or cherry blossom or anything traditional, but I'm pretty sure it was still art. I was still looking it over when I heard a very specific noise, a noise that's been ingrained into my head since before I could walk. It was someone unsheathing a sword.

I turned quickly.

Yumichika was fastening his sword to his belt just like I did. Not just a sword, a zanpakuto. He drew it out and inspected it closely, to see if the oil had allowed it to rust, running his hand over the wide part of the blade as if greeting it.

I could feel my heartbeat rise and my ears start to ring. It's never good to rush at someone holding a sharp weapon, but luckily he was sheathing it just as I got to him.

"Ikkaku, what are you…" I stopped his talking with a hungry kiss. He pushed me away. "They're going to come for me soon," he said.

"Mmmn," I replied, not listening.

He hissed slightly as I pressed him into the wall, hitching his legs around my hips. He was wearing one of my kimonos and nothing else, having changed quickly at my place. I quickly untied it and made short work of my own clothes, never letting got of Yumichika. He wasn't complaining anymore and had that glazed over look in his eye that let me know that I was in for it. He leaned over and started giving me small bites around my neck while I was trying to undress. I growled in response.

"You know," he whispered, "I've always wondered…" he trailed off as he licked me upside my bare head, from behind my ear to the top.

"Uuughhh," I moaned, slamming him into the wall.

"What? You like that?" he teased.

* * *

**Yumichika**

When I saw Ikkaku's zanpakuto I immediately recalled my own. I guess that should probably show you how I felt; it was more important to me to talk to Ikkaku for one last time than it was to get something that is basically a piece of my soul. I wasn't surprised he had one, although I hadn't really thought about it before. In fact, seeing him wear it seemed like I was seeing a more complete version of himself than I had been seeing before.

Ikkaku offered no objection to going back into town. I think he was itching for a fight and was practically hoping somebody would try to stop me.

Once at my place I moved the bookshelf and unwrapped it; Ruri'iro Kujaku, my bane and my pride. It had been at least a year since I'd trained. I ran my hand along the blade, feeling it pulse within me. I was shocked to find Ikkaku's arms around me almost the second it was away. I could tell by the fire in his eyes he was definitely too gone for me to reason with him but I tried. I more or less stopped trying to reason with him once he slammed me against the wall. As much as I love the slow romantic stuff, no one has ever been able take quite as much from me as Ikkaku. I'd never had sex with someone with my level of spiritual pressure, someone as strong as Ikkaku. If he held me down, it was actually something, and very erotic to me.

After was had spent ourselves I sat in his lap underneath the window, still completely naked, but not really caring. He wrapped his arms around me.

There was noise outside, and a crowd forming.

"This is your fault," I told him.

"Yup," he said with a grin. "What can I say, you are irresistible."

We got dressed, not hurrying despite the angry yells and beginning of some frantic knocks on the door.

"Yumichika," he said, suddenly serious.

"Yeah?"

"I wanted to say something before, but after today I know it for a fact," he continued. "I love you."

My heart skipped and I could feel the heat rush to my face. "Ikkaku…"

"You don't have to…"

"Ikkaku, I love you too," I finished, kissing him. "You don't have to look so shocked," I said with a laugh.

There was some more persistent knocking and yelling outside now.

"We should get going," I suggested.

"Let's make a little room for ourselves first," Ikkaku said.

I was wondering what he meant, but then I felt him allowing his spiritual pressure to heighten. I increased mine to meet it. We heard curses outside as people backed away. We went outside.

"Ikkaku?" one of the men said in shock. There was a murmur. I was fairly new to town and had kept to myself, but almost everyone knew Ikkaku.

"Watch out, they have weapons!" someone yelled.

"Yeah, we have weapons. Really, we could just wipe this whole place out easily, but there's no real reason for that. You guys are all pompous twats but I don't particularly feel like killing any of you. Aside from those of you who attacked my lover that is," Ikkaku responded. "I don't suppose you guys will raise your hand and let me know who you are?"

No one moved. Someone did yell, "You're gay?"

"No, I just sleep with men," Ikkaku said with a laugh. "Why does it matter? Anyways, move out of the way and let us pass and things will be fine."

"He attacked and hurt eight men!" a man yelled.

"They thought he was a woman, and if he was they would have raped him. Are you really siding with those guys?" Ikkaku asked.

"I'm bored with this," I said, drawing my zanpakuto.

"Me too," Ikkaku drew his as well.

The crowd took a collective backward step, before slowing edging away from the center, creating a narrow path. It would still have been dangerous to walk, we'd be exposing our backs to who knows how many bigots who hated us, but Ikkaku just pumped up his spiritual pressure so that those that got to near to us fell to their knees. He looked over at me and grinned. I grinned back, giddy with the fact that he actually loved me.

* * *

**Ikkaku**

"I don't suppose you know any of that kido stuff to help us with this?" I asked as we tried to unsuccessfully start a fire in the damp grass.

"Sorry, I don't know any at all," Yumichika confessed.

"Heh, no worries. Actually, I kind of hate kido anyways. It's always seemed weak to me to have to strike from a distance using weird words and powers, you should rely on your own power and strength, not magic," I said with a grin. He was quiet.

"Well, I do know how to flash step," he said hesitantly.

"I do too," I looked over at him. "I really have to know; what's your zanpakuto like? What's its name?"

"I'll have to show it to you later," Yumichika said. "Right now I need to figure out how to make this damn fire."

I ran my fingers through his hair as he worked. "You know, I've always felt that I loved you, we just fit together. Today, seeing you with your zanpakuto, I knew we could be even more than just lovers, we could be partners."

"Is that really an upgrade from lover?" he asked, his back to me.

"Well, I've had many lovers but not one partner," I said.

"So why does a common town carpenter have a zanpakuto?" Yumichika asked.

"I was a bandit. At least, I was one of those kids taken by bandits and raised to be one of them. I really did love it at first, when it was just training and sparring. On my first actual raid, I saw one of my team members about to strike a sleeping man in the back of the head. I just had to stop him. It was so unfair. To kill an unarmed man while he slept in his own home disgusted me. I wound up taking out the bandit who was going to murder the man and woke the man up. Together we defended his home. Afterward I confessed to him that I had come to rob him, but he didn't care. I was still pretty young at that point, and he told me that he could help me change my life if I wanted to. So I became his apprentice."

"That was his shop?" Yumichika said in awe.

"Yeah," I replied. "Why so shocked?"

"You left it so easily. You grew up there. I've never had a home; I don't think I could just..."

"It wasn't anything," I said honestly. It's not that I minded living as a law abiding citizen, it's just that I was so bored that I was going crazy. Even if Yumichika hadn't come along, I wouldn't have stayed and died in that dusty town. "What about you?" I asked curiously.

"I don't remember a lot from when I was very young. I was on the streets, I didn't have any family. Then I met a man who took interest in me. It was only luck that I met the type of man I did, as opposed to one who would take advantage of me or use me. Instead I traveled with him, learning how fight and defending myself. Eventually I got my zanpakuto and began training with that as well," he answered. "However…well the reason that the man had taken an interest in me was that he was dying. He hadn't lived a very good life and felt that he should at least do something kind before dying. I was his project, his last attempt to save himself from whatever it was he was afraid of."

"So he died, leaving you alone," I said.

"Yeah," Yumichika said sadly.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up anything painful."

"No, I'm just sad because he was the only person I've ever really known and even then I was just a means to an end. I don't think he personally cared about me, it was just what I represented to him, salvation of some sort."

"I care about you," I said, pulling him firmly between my legs as I leaned against a tree. "And I highly doubt someone like you could go your whole life without being cared about. I'm pretty sure you can walk into a half empty bar and be cared about."

"Just for my looks," he said.

"I thought you liked people admiring you for your looks. You judge people based just off their appearance all the time," I said confused.

"I never said that I made any sense," Yumichika replied, his voice getting quieter. I could tell he was starting to drift off to sleep, despite neither of us having eaten any dinner.

"I love you anyways," I whispered into his ear.

* * *

**Yumichika**

As I was falling asleep I had a lot of thoughts going through my mind. He loved me; he wanted me to be his partner. I wondered how strong his aversion to kido was and whether that was also was true for kido based weapons. I needed to put off telling him about mine as long as possible until I found out. I had finally found my Ikkaku and I wasn't going to let him go if I had to lie through my teeth for the rest of my life.


	5. Heatbreak and Acceptance

**Heartbreak and Acceptance**

* * *

**Yumichika**

I waited until he was well enough to take care of himself, all the time hiding my true emotions. People think that I am hot tempered, which I am, but that doesn't mean I don't know how to keep a secret. So I pressed down the rising feelings while I tended his wounds and made him food until I felt he was stronger.

"Ikkaku, can you come to the door for a moment?" I called into the abandoned shack we had taken up temporary residence in.

"What is it?" he said. I looked at his face and almost faltered, but it had to be done.

"I'm leaving," I said as calmly as I could. I didn't need to elaborate, he could tell by the way I said it that I meant for good. He just stood and stared at me for what seemed like hours. My heart broke as he just stood there saying nothing. Finally I turned and walked away.

* * *

**Ikkaku**

"I'm leaving," he told me, his hair blowing the breeze.

It hit me worse than the blows Kenpachi had given me. The only thing I could think in my mind was the words "Yumichika…please…" over and over again. Damn it. Was it because I lost? Was I no longer strong enough for him? Had he just finally gotten bored? I fell to my knees, my hands on the floor as I bowed over.

"Ikkaku!" he said, rushing back to me, concerned for my fresh wounds. "Ikkaku…" Yumichika said, "Are you ok?"

There was only pain, deep inside, but not from my injuries. I fought with everything I had, because I never wanted to see Yumichika see me with any tears in my eyes. "I'm sorry. I knew that you would leave one day. I'm trying to let you go, but it's just so damn..." I said, not meeting his eyes, trying to not wrap my arms around him and force him to not leave.

"What? Why did you think I would leave one day?"

"Somehow I must have tricked you, or maybe I was just a safe place for you to be for awhile, but I always knew that eventually you'd come to your senses and go away. It's just that I love you too much to let you go easily."

"You idiot!" he yelled at me, hitting me hard. I lay sprawled on the ground, looking up at him in shock. "How dare you pretend like you love me!"

"I…"

"You begged him to kill you! I felt how strong he was and thought you were going to die. The entire time I felt like a noose was around my neck, tightening. Then, somehow you survived, BUT YOU ASKED HIM TO KILL YOU!"

I had no response to that.

"You would rather choose to die than come back to me? Your pride is more important than me? You'd rather die than lose? Rather have me watch you die, shredded and in pieces on the ground, your eyes going dull? Obviously you don't feel that same way towards me as I do about you. I'm leaving because I can't watch you do that again. At least if I'm far away I can pretend that you're fine and that you love me," he raged, his face flushed in anger.

I hadn't been thinking in the battle at all, at least not about Yumichika. "I always assumed that if anything happened to me, you'd just find someone else," I said. "I didn't think…," this time I was a little more prepared and stopped his fist from hitting me.

"Fool! Without you there is nothing for me. If you had been killed out there it would have been exactly the same as me dying!"

"Yumichika…" Was that really true? Did he really care about me that much?

"Whether I'm by your side or alone, you're the only one for me. I just can't know that you don't even care enough to try to live for me," he said, calming down a little. He got up to leave.

"Wait, no!" I said, forcing myself up, leaning against the door frame. "I promise you it won't happen again."

He paused. He paused and I knew I had just one shot at making him stay. "Don't you remember what that man I fought said, what Kenpachi from Zaraki said? He said the same thing to me, to count myself lucky if I lived after a battle, to not seek death. If you think about it, I'm a very lucky guy; I'm lucky I survived, and I'm lucky that I have you. I've been thinking about that, before you even said anything."

He came back. Thank god he came back. I wrapped my arm around him like he was life itself.

* * *

**Yumichika**

"I found him," I said.

"Really?" Ikkaku asked excitedly.

"You'll never guess, but he's become a captain of the thirteen court guard!"

"That doesn't really seem like him," Ikkaku said warily.

"I got a description of him as well. It's definitely him, and that cute little girl that was with him to."

"Are you ok with this?" he asked.

"Why, do you think you can beat him?" I hadn't really been sure why it was that Ikkaku was looking for Kenpachi, but I had been asking around for him anyways. We both had as we traveled from town to town fighting small fry for money and food. I trusted him though. I trusted the promise he gave me that he wouldn't seek death. To me, even if he challenged Kenpachi, it wouldn't be the same as last time. I didn't want to change him from the person he was. As much as it was tempting to try to force him to be safe and place nice, a tame Ikkaku wouldn't really be Ikkaku at all. I respected his wishes and stayed out of his battles, even if they seemed impossible to win, and even if I had my hand clenched on my zanpakuto the whole time wanting to help.

"I don't think that's what I'm going to do anymore," he said. He looked over at me with a wide grin. "Wanna join his squad?"

"Do I…" I had never considered becoming a shinigami before. I smiled to myself.

"What's that for?" Ikkaku asked.

"I was thinking of what you'd look like in a school uniform," I replied with a dreamy sigh.

"What? You don't _have_ to do that, do you?" he questioned with a look of disgust. I shrugged. Why in the world would I know?

* * *

**Ikkaku**

"Well, at least I know you're a little better than these pansies running under my feet," Kenpachi said. "Some of them actually fall down when I'm around, if you can believe that."

Yeah, I could believe it. If he wasn't scary looking enough on his own to make someone go weak at the knees, then his spiritual pressure would knock a you right off your feet if Kenpachi wasn't watching it (which he never did, or never did enough).

"I'm so happy Baldy is joining us!" my new lieutenant said. I visibly twitched. That was a nickname that was not going to stay. I figured that maybe I'd wait a little bit before laying down the law with that little brat though; I don't want to piss off my new boss immediately.

"Uh, there's one more thing," I said hesitantly.

"What's that?" Kenpachi asked.

"Living quarters. I heard that since we're going to be seated officers that we get our own rooms and living quarters," I replied.

"Yeah, and?"

"Well…you ain't gonna need two for me and Yumichika," I said.

He looked me over, and I wondered if I had made a mistake. I could always just claim that I meant that we liked being roommates, right?

"Just don't let it interfere with your battles," Kenpachi said.

"I don't understand why them living together would change that," said Yachiru, puzzled.

"He means that they're dating, or together or whatever," Kenpachi explained.

"Haha, you must have gotten him really drunk when that happened because he's way out of your league!" Yachiru laughed.

I blinked. Exactly how old was Yachiru again? I started to question Kenpachi parenting skills. Then I grinned. "Yeah, I know."

"Oh! So are you going to have babies?" she asked.

Ok, so not quite as worldly as I had thought.

"No," I answered firmly.

"I have a present for you if you promise to be nice to me," she said.

"Uh…sure?"

"I'm going to be staying with Kenny, so you guys can have the lieutenant's quarters. It's bigger than the others and has a garden area and everything."

"I…thank you, Lieutenant," I said. I take back what I said. She can call me baldy all she wants.

Outside, I couldn't find Yumichika. After years of being with him I could feel him anywhere, but there was too much spiritual pressure around me, both from Kenpachi's massive outpouring and from the tons of shinigami milling around. I could tell he was around, just not in what direction. It didn't help that everyone was wearing black and white. Suddenly, I saw it, a bright orange wristband held into the air. I laughed and walked towards him.

"What do you think?" he asked.

"Of the orange neck wrist whatever thing or the hair?"

"Both."

"I like it," I ran my fingers through his newly shortened hair. "I liked it before too," I backtracked, just in case. You never know with Yumichika. I loved his hair before, but it did get more than a few people thinking he was a woman.

"What do you like about it?" he asked.

Oh shit. "Uh, because it's shorter it looks more shiny…and bigger?" I said.

"Fuller?" he asked.

"Sure."

"I think that to balance out the shorter hair and lack of color I'm going to do something with my eyes," Yumichika said.

"What like makeup or something?" I asked.

"I'm not sure yet," he replied.

"Heh," I said, nuzzling Yumichika's covered neck. "You know, that thing will cover up a lot if I get too frisky."

"Ikkaku!" Yumichika whispered, trying to push me away. I held him in place, kissing him deeply, passionately.

"Woohoo! Grab his ass!" Someone walking by yelled.

I relaxed my grip, allowing Yumichika to come up for air.

"It's ok, Yumichika. I don't know if it's ok everywhere, but our captain doesn't care and that's all that matters," I said.

"You…told him?" Yumichika asked, shocked.

"Well, in a way. I was asking for us to have the same quarters so…"

"You did what?"

"Oh," I paused, "we've been on the road so long that I just assumed. I guess I should have asked. Do you want to live with me?"

"You idiot, that's not what I meant. Now that you ask though, yes," he said with a smile. "Also, I think you better grant that man his request."

"What request?" I asked, confused.

Yumichika grabbed my ass.

* * *

"I got this for you," I said, handing him the small pot.

I always thought he looked adorable when he was gardening, but I tried to not mention it (at least not while using the word 'adorable'). There were only three times that Yumichika deemed it acceptable to be dirty, at least temporarily. One was in battle, one was in bed, and one was in the garden. Seeing the little smear of dirt on his face and soil under his finger nails made me want to do bad things to him, right there, outside and in front of anyone who might be unfortunate to walk by.

"It's beautiful," he said.

"Yeah, they are, but it's the smell that I bought them for," I mentioned.

He bent down over a flower and smelled. "Mmm, lovely," he agreed.

"I've actually been looking for these for a long time," I admitted. "They remind me of you. Even before I ever saw you, when I felt your spiritual pressure for the first time, this is what I smelled, what I saw in my mind."

He looked at me with sparkling eyes and a wide smile, and then surprised me completely by pouncing on me, knocking me over into the tilled earth. He quickly started undoing my kimono.

"Yumichika…" I breathed. I was _going_ to say, 'Yumichika stop', but I really didn't want that to happen, it just kind of seemed like the sort of thing I _should_ say since we were in a fairly public place.

He kissed my chest and neck, his hands undoing my hakama. He moved his kisses downward and I arched my back as I felt his hot mouth pressing down on my erection through my fundoshi. He expertly removed them in a quick movement, but then paused. I looked down at him.

"Just admiring the view," he said with a smirk.

"Heh, yeah well…" I'm not sure what I was going to say because my brain short circuit that second because of what Yumichika's tongue started doing.

It doesn't matter how long we've been together, or how often we've slept together, Yumichika has always been able to completely make me his in a matter of moments. I will never get tired of his body, the noises he makes, or the way he touches me, and I sure as hell will never get tired of touching him. I still count myself lucky when I catch him unawares, when he's brushing his hair and staring out over his garden, or just trying on kimonos and checking himself out in the mirror. He's finally convinced me that he's not going to just up and leave one day. Not that I don't still get jealous when I see someone looking at him. He enjoys the attention so I let a little bit of it slide, but anyone flirting with Yumichika is flirting with a long stay in Squad 4.

Also, that summer I built our backyard privacy fence. It still doesn't keep the noise in though.

_A/N: So that's it. I didn't want to write about all the in between stuff, just them going around and fighting town to town (at least not now). I'll definitely be doing more Ikkaku and Yumichika stuff though._


End file.
